31.07.2015 Views

Youth Work Ireland Final Declaration 2011

Youth Work Ireland Final Declaration 2011

Youth Work Ireland Final Declaration 2011

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

<strong>Youth</strong> <strong>Work</strong> <strong>Ireland</strong><strong>Final</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong> <strong>2011</strong>The Annual General Meeting of <strong>Youth</strong> <strong>Work</strong> <strong>Ireland</strong> held on 21 May <strong>2011</strong> attended by its 22Member <strong>Youth</strong> Services unanimously agreed the following <strong>Final</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong>:Putting Young People First<strong>Youth</strong> <strong>Work</strong> <strong>Ireland</strong> will continue to speak out about the key issues impacting on youngpeople. Young people have told us that jobs and emigration continue to be their biggestconcerns. <strong>Ireland</strong>’s recession is becoming a lengthy one and it disproportionately affects ouryoung people. There can be no recovery on the backs of people who have the least. Jobsstrategies and initiatives need to have specific and dedicated measures that help youngpeople.<strong>Work</strong> experience and internships can play a part but young people need real skills and realwork. There are numerous restrictions and blockages in the education and training system,real public reform can address these and free up capacity to accommodate the hugedemand for education and training amongst our young people. However we welcomeoverdue reforms in the formal education system.Young people need to be heard in our political and economic system. The Government plansa Children’s Rights Referendum which may at last give some voice and presence to youngpeople in relation to decisions that affect them. However young people tell us they knownothing about this referendum and the issues involved and crucially nobody has askedthem. This is several years after Taoiseach Ahern announced the Government’s intention tohave such a vote. Clearly the people who should benefit from such constitutional changeshould be involved and aware in relation to it. We intend to carry out such awarenessraising work in the run up to the referendum.Sustainability of <strong>Youth</strong> Service ProvisionSimilarly a new Children’s Strategy and <strong>Youth</strong> Policy Framework are being developed byGovernment. These must be active and living documents and involve real integration acrosspolicy areas and Government Departments. <strong>Youth</strong> Services already work in this way in localcommunities and Government should examine and learn from the efficiencies and economyof such an approach.


In this year the European Year of the Volunteer we will continue to support, train anddevelop our network of over 7,000 Volunteers. <strong>Youth</strong> Services are particularly dependent onvolunteers to run a quality service. In the current climate Government needs to recognizeand value the contributions of this important group in society through tax and welfarepolicies.One of the pillars of the EU <strong>Youth</strong> Policy Strategy 2009 is to improve young people’s accessand full participation in society. We will make our learning and documented good practiceavailable to policy makers, service providers and practitioners to achieve this.We call on the new Government toPreserve and maintain the funding base of youth work services which have sufferedfrom massive cutbacksSee young people as a resource and as strengths, as key assets in our economicrecoverySupport integrated, community based youth services which work with all youngpeople across the range of policy areas.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!